In recent years, infrared thermometers have come into wide use for detection of temperature of adults. For core temperature readings, infrared thermometers which are adapted to be inserted into the patient's ear have been extremely successful. Early infrared thermometers were adapted to extend into the ear canal in order to view the tympanic membrane and provide an uncorrected, direct reading of tympanic temperature which correlates with pulmonary artery temperature. More recently, however, to provide for greater comfort and ease of use, ear thermometers have been designed to provide corrected readings of the generally cooler distal ear canal. Such thermometers measure temperature of distal ear canal tissue and calculate arterial temperature via heat balance.
The arterial heat balance approach is based on a model of heat flow through series thermal resistances from the arterial core temperature to the ear skin temperature and from the ear skin temperature to ambient temperature. Accordingly, after sensing both the skin temperature and ambient temperature, the arterial core temperature can be calculated. The thermal resistance model also allows for computation of equivalent oral and rectal temperatures with the mere adjustment of a weighting factor in the computation.
Infrared ear thermometry has not found such high acceptance for use with neonates. Neonates have a very high moisture level in their ear canals, due to the presence of vernix and residual amniotic fluid, resulting in low ear temperatures because of the associative evaporative cooling. In addition, environmental uncertainties, such as radiant heaters and warming pads can significantly influence the air temperature. Further, clinicians are less inclined to position the tip of an infrared thermometer in the ear of a small neonate.
Infrared thermometers designed for axillary temperature measurements are presented in U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 08/469,484 and 08/738,300 which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In each of those devices, an infrared detector probe extends from a temperature display housing and may easily slide into the axilla to lightly touch the apex of the axilla and provide an accurate infrared temperature reading in as little as one-half second. The axillary thermometer also relies on the arterial heat balance approach to provide arterial, oral or rectal temperature.
The axillary infrared thermometer has found great utility not only with neonates but as a screening tool in general, and especially for small children where conventional temperature measurements such as a thermometer under the tongue or a rectal thermometer are difficult.